Hello from Oklahoma

[matt85]

welcome to the forum, this forum exists to drain your wallet and fulfill your wildest dreams!

I see you are a man of good tastes! the 338 WM is my choice long range PG cartridge and would be my number one PG cartridge if it weren't for the glorious Winchester M70 in 416 RM (finest heavy rifle on the market under $2000). I use my 416 RM for EVERYTHING... rabbits to wildebeests its been there and done that.

when it comes to 50 cal rifles your choice of the NE cartridge is excellent and your taste in brands is also perfect if a bit beyond a students budget. as mentioned by @Bullthrower338 I have a Heym M89 in 500 NE on order which should be completed sometime next month. this issue with Heym is the rifle will cost about as much as a new car and given your budget I would suggest placing your bar a little lower to get your foot in the door. a Merkel in 500 NE can be had for much less money and still be a decent quality double rifle (avoid anything cheaper!).

-matt

 

[Lbarr265]

welcome to the forum, this forum exists to drain your wallet and fulfill your wildest dreams!

I see you are a man of good tastes! the 338 WM is my choice long range PG cartridge and would be my number one PG cartridge if it weren't for the glorious Winchester M70 in 416 RM (finest heavy rifle on the market under $2000). I use my 416 RM for EVERYTHING... rabbits to wildebeests its been there and done that.

when it comes to 50 cal rifles your choice of the NE cartridge is excellent and your taste in brands is also perfect if a bit beyond a students budget. as mentioned by @Bullthrower338 I have a Heym M89 in 500 NE on order which should be completed sometime next month. this issue with Heym is the rifle will cost about as much as a new car and given your budget I would suggest placing your bar a little lower to get your foot in the door. a Merkel in 500 NE can be had for much less money and still be a decent quality double rifle (avoid anything cheaper!).

-matt

I looked at both Merkel and Krieghoff, but wasn't a fan of the cocking levers. I understand them from a safety standpoint, but I also see the opposite safety standpoint, i.e. a charge situation. And if I am going to spend good money on a double, it will be a custom or semi-custom job, where it will actually have a length of pull suitable for me (I have very long arms for my size, and I'm not a small fellow). Once you get a factory double and restock it, get it balanced again, and re-regulated for my choice of ammo (I'm a handloader, so I hate being stuck with factory loads) it is about the same as a custom double, which at that point it basically is. Anyway anything beyond my planned 338 is a few years out, when I have a full time job in engineering that will hopefully be in my price range. Please keep us updated on how yours turns out, I'm very curious. Also what is the lead time on it?

I would love to take credit for choosing a 338 WM, but truth be told I was actually looking mostly at some of the heavier 338's when I was straightened out by some other members of this forum on a post I made a while back. But I'm glad to see people validating that decision, and I'm always happy to listen to experience.

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Welcome to the great forum.
Witold.

 

[jpr792]

Hello all,
I am a new member,
I haven’t been to Africa yet...
I will say I’ve already been infected with African hunting sickness...
...my addiction with y’alls wonderful hunting reports.
Until I can join y’all over there I am hunting deer in my home state ...
I stumble on it while planning a perfect dream safari...
I hope someday I can contribute more than a few silly beginner questions...
Sincerely,
Lawrence Barrett (lbarr265)

Dear Lawrence
Welcome to the greatest Forum on the web where you will always not only find the information you are looking for, but also HONEST OPINIONS.
Keep on dreaming about Africa: "if you dream it, you can do it". Before you know it, you might set foot on Africa.
Enjoy the planning process by scrutinising the hunt reports.
Keep on hunting where ever opportunity arise, the youth (new generation) plays an important role in hunting - take a friend along.
There is no such thing as "silly beginner questions" since all questions form your opinion and perception at the end of the day.
It is the "perception" of price of an African safari that needs to change. Put all the cards on the table then you realise soon that an African safari is indeed within your reach - it does not have to be expensive.
I have ONE TIP for you when it comes to save for your safari:
Every time you purchase "whatever", a coffee, a meal, a drink, anything..., calculate it for a month, a year, two years...and soon you note how it is possible to save if you have a goal in mind.
Best of luck with your studies! AFRICA is looking forward welcoming you soon to the Continent...

 

[fin003]

Welcome to AH Lawrence.
Enjoy the forum, it's very addicting.

 

[enysse]

Welcome to AH!

 

[matt85]

I looked at both Merkel and Krieghoff, but wasn't a fan of the cocking levers. I understand them from a safety standpoint, but I also see the opposite safety standpoint, i.e. a charge situation. And if I am going to spend good money on a double, it will be a custom or semi-custom job, where it will actually have a length of pull suitable for me (I have very long arms for my size, and I'm not a small fellow). Once you get a factory double and restock it, get it balanced again, and re-regulated for my choice of ammo (I'm a handloader, so I hate being stuck with factory loads) it is about the same as a custom double, which at that point it basically is. Anyway anything beyond my planned 338 is a few years out, when I have a full time job in engineering that will hopefully be in my price range. Please keep us updated on how yours turns out, I'm very curious. Also what is the lead time on it?

I would love to take credit for choosing a 338 WM, but truth be told I was actually looking mostly at some of the heavier 338's when I was straightened out by some other members of this forum on a post I made a while back. But I'm glad to see people validating that decision, and I'm always happy to listen to experience.

i dont believe Merkel doubles have decocking levers and from what ive heard the newer Krieghoff rifles are also available with standard safeties (i could be wrong on this).

i use a 210gr Barnes TTSX in my 338 WM at around 2900fps. this load worked very well in Namibia on animals ranging in size from baboons to zebra.

-matt

 

[NamStay]

Welcome to the best forum Lawrence! Enjoy!

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Welcome to AH Lawrence!

 

[MAdcox]

@Lbarr265 , welcome to the forum from another newby and an Okie. I hate to sound like an old fart at only 42 but you sound just like me 20 years ago (although I think you could have found a good engineering school closer to your native Kansas, like STILLWATER.) I grew up reading everything Africa I could get my hands on , and spent lots of hours in a deer or duck blind dreaming and planning my first safari. I also started reloading from an early age helping my dad reload 44 mag rounds with an old Lee hand press. Being a gun nut myself and having a modest arsenal currently, I will tell you my gun buying has slowed somewhat. I will run the risk of being blackballed from this forum here, BUT having just returned from my first trip to Africa, I now look at every purchase I make in light of how much quicker could I get back if I didn't. Sure that $2,400 Winchester Super Grade .375 is awesome but it could also be an eland on my next trip, kind of thing. What I will tell you is keep dreaming and planning and reading and know that when you do get to make that trip it will still surpass all your expectations.
Also, I now own a small cattle ranch less than an hour south of Norman and always need another coyote calling buddy. PM if you get loose sometime.

 

[Art Lambart II]

Welcome to AH.
My advice to you would be to "Hunt while your young and shoot when your old". Hunting is the process of getting close to your quarry, shooting is the act of striking a target at a distance. You can hunt everything in North America with a 30-06 by matching bullet weight and distance to your quarry. If you find that you need a 338 WM to hunt Elk with a Outfitter in Idaho then you will have more than enough money to take your 30-06 to Africa and hunt Plains Game (A 10 day safari with 6 animals included is cheaper than a Guided Elk Hunt) . As you get older and your waist line expands, your mussels soften and your knees and ankles dictate how far you can walk then take up shooting. Now shooting will require a large battery of firearms, fortunately by the time you have to do more shooting than hunting your income will have grown to support your habit.

One more thing ALWAYS PUT 15% OF EVERY PAYCHECK INTO YOUR 401K. If you do that when you retire hunting Africa won't be a dream it will be a yearly event.

 

[Nyati]

Hi Lawrence, welcome to AH !

I am also a big fan of the .338WM, and the Heym double would be a perfect choice.
A month ago I was hunting with a PH who was carrying one and he was convinced it was the perfect double for a professional.

 

[USAN]

Welcome to AH Lawrence!
Nice to have you on the site.

 

[cagkt3]

although I think you could have found a good engineering school closer to your native Kansas, like STILLWATER

Did OU put in a new satellite campus???

 

[Lbarr265]

Did OU put in a new satellite campus???

They haven’t yet, but will be claiming a small parcel of land formerly known as Boone pickens stadium this Saturday

 

[ScottG]

Welcome
I lived in Stillwater fo 10 years. Loved Oklahoma. Good luck with your hunting adventures.

 

[MAdcox]

They haven’t yet, but will be claiming a small parcel of land formerly known as Boone pickens stadium this Saturday

Hoping not, but Gundy sure hasn't inspired much confidence lately. He has some sort of mental block with OU. Can't seem to beat them even in years he has the better team. And lately we play better on the road than in Stillwater.

 

[Britt Beck]

Welcome to the best site on the planet. You will get there sooner than you think. Keep your nose down and work hard. Best of luck.

 

[ndumo HUNTING SAFARIS]

Welcome Lawrence. This forum has a wealth of information from some extremely knowledgeable folks, enjoy!

 

[Philip Glass]

Hello all,

I am a new member, I haven’t been to Africa yet, and won’t be for several more years as I’m still in school and can barely justify buying coffee when water from a fountain exists. I will say I’ve already been infected with African hunting sickness, and have been since I was 7 and first read a story about lion hunting. I’ve been a member for a couple of months now, and am feeding my addiction with y’alls wonderful hunting reports. I’ve gone through 200/1395 posts in that section in about a month and a half, so I will ask all members to go hunting and write more reports!! Its for the good of us poor unfortunate souls that need to live vicariously. Until I can join y’all over there I am hunting deer in my home state of Kansas (best place for it, undisputed ), hogs in Oklahoma where I am in school, and coyotes in both states (thats one species I wouldn't mind extinction of, they kill too many deer for my liking).

I’ve also been trying to soak up as much information on Africa as possible, this site seems to be a fount of knowledge. I stumble on it while planning a perfect dream safari (ended up being about $500,000; included elephant, buffalo, and lion in nearly every country that allows it, a battery of 6 guns, nearly endless plains game, and about 3 months of straight hunting, unrealistic but remember it was a fantasy dream safari). I hope someday I can contribute more than a few silly beginner questions, and look forward to being part of the AH community.

Sincerely,

Lawrence Barrett (lbarr265)

Welcome and nice to have a member that shares my dream of coyote extenction! I am a Sheep rancher hence the hatred of coyotes.
Philip